Decrease in maximum consumption of oxygen after blockage of beta-andrenergic receptors]

VO2 max, maximum oxygen uptake, has been measured in 4 normal young men, before and after beta-adrenergic blockade (0.5 to 5 mg Pindolol by mouth). Pindolol induces bradycardia and reduces VO2 max. A statistically significant positive correlation appears between posology of Pindolol and bradycardia, this posology and reduction of VO2 max, and finally between bradycardia and reduction of VO2 max. These correlations indicate that the reduction of VO2 max is best explained by a circulatory limitation of oxygen supply to active muscles.     

Induced azygospore formation in Mucor (Rhizomucor) pusillus by Absidia corymbifera

Attempts to determine the mating reaction type of heterothallic strains of Mucor pusillus in interspecific contrasts with Mucor strains of known mating reaction type were unsuccessful. Contrasts with Absidia corymbifera strains resulted in the production of azygospores in Mucor pusillus.     

Dose-dependent hyporreactivity to phytohemagglutinin in systemic lupus erythematosus

The response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to stimulation with optimal and suboptimal doses of PHA was measured in patients with active SLE before initiation of therapy. The [³H]thymidine uptake of SLE patient's lymphocytes was significantly lower than that of their matched controls when cells were stimulated with suboptimal PHA doses in the presence of autologous plasma. A moderate improvement in the PHA response was observed by culturing washed patient's lymphocytes in medium supplemented with pooled normal human plasma, but only in one case the response reverted to normal values. A significant inhibitory effect of SLE plasma on the response of normal donor's lymphocytes to stimulation with low PHA doses, which was independent from the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies and persisted after complement inactivation was observed in further experiments.The results indicate that depression of lymphocyte transformation could be demonstrated in patients with active SLE using suboptimal doses of PHA and suggest that this depression may be caused by both a defect in the responding lymphocyte populalation and the presence of inhibitory factor(s) in SLE plasma.     

Proteolytic activity associated with human erythrocyte membranes. Self-digestion of isolated human erythrocyte membranes.

At least two kinds of enzymes are active in the proteolytic self-digestion of erythrocyte membranes. The specific activities of these enzymes do not decrease with repeated washings of purified stroma. The effects of a variety of inhibitors on the membrane preparation's capacity to digest 125-I-labelled casein, covalently linked to latex beads, have been examined. Pepstatin-inhibitable enzyme, active at low pH, digests the membrane extensively to small polypeptide fragments. Spectrin, located at the internal part of the membrane, is readily degraded. Diisopropylfluorophosphate-inhibitable enzyme, active at pH 8-9, has only limited digestive capacity. Some of the membrane components, such as the small molecular weight glycoproteins, are resistant to digestion. The restricted capacity of digestion is due to the membrane molecular arrangement; increased disaggregation removes the restriction and increases the activity. Spectrin is not digested unless the membrane topography is disrupted by NP-40 neutral detergent. These observations suggest that the enzymes active at basic pH are located external to the cell. Intact cells do possess a limited capacity to degrade 125-I-labelled casein when their surfaces are brought into contact with substrate-coated beads.     

Isolation and properties of a ferredoxin from Anabaena Flos-Aquae

Ferredoxin was isolated from the blue-green alga Anabaena flos-aquae. Its homogeneity was shown by conventional and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel columns, the latter indicating a pI at ca pH 3·7. The absorption spectrum had, in the oxidized state, maxima at 462, 421, 327 and 276 nm, with a shoulder at 284 nm, a spectrum characteristic of plant-type ferredoxins. The 421 : 276 nm absorbance ratio was typically 0.49. The ferredoxin effectively mediated the photoreduction of NADP⁺ by barley chloroplasts depleted of native ferredoxin. The MW obtained by sedimentation-equilibrium and sedimentation velocity-diffusion coefficient studies was ca 12 000 daltons, a value somewhat higher than suggested by amino acid composition data. The ferredoxin contained 2Fe and 2S per molecule.     

Tissue antigens from the third instar larva of Drosophila melanogaster

Antibodies were prepared against the soluble proteins from six tissues of Drosophila larvae. These were used to analyse the antigens in different tissues and at different developmental stages. The results suggest (1) the pattern of antigens determines the characteristics of a tissue, (2) salivary gland antigens are sequestered by the imaginal disks, (3) not all pupal glue antigens are synthesized in the salivary glands, and (4) most larval serum antigens are synthesized by the fat body.